Grain-binder



(No Model.)

M. KANE. GRAIN BINDER.

No. 534,267. Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

MAURICE KANE, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,267, dated February 19, 1895.

Application filed April '7, 1 8 94.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE KANE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Binders, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in grain binders, and its object is to simplify and render more efficient machines of this kind, and more particularly to secure this effect by modifications in the mechanism for commu nicating motion to the needle shaft.

The invention consists in substantially the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the subjoined specification and more especially pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings for the sake of rendering more conspicuous the actual invention, the ordinary and usual parts of a grain binder, other than those to which the improvement particularly relates, have been omitted.

Like letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end view of the mechanism employed to drive the needle shaft, and of the needle and compressor arm, the needle being in its lowest position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the needle in its highest position. Fig. 3 is a detail view in section of the manner of mounting the sprocket and crank upon the knotter driving shaft, for driving the needle and the relation of these parts to each other.

It has been found desirable in grain binders as heretofore used to supply considerable power to the needle at the time it is giving final compression to the bundle, and yet the complete movement of the needle from its lowest point to the point of final compression, and then back to its lowest position must be effected within a certain definite period of time, and consequently, it has always been a problem how to give the needle sufficient power to operate properly the heavy grain and at the same time enable it to complete the entire distancewithin the predetermined space of time. Of course, sufficient power could be supplied by making the driving pinion comparatively small and the driven gear or sprocket comparatively large, but in such case there was a correspondingloss in speed, which Serial No. 506,786- (No model.)

was undesirable. Again, when the gears were proportioned so as to give a proper speed, it was necessary in order to get sufficient power, to make the machine quite heavy so that there would be produced a sufficient traction by the pressure of the master wheel upon the ground.

By the present improvement it is proposed to avoid all the diificulties above indicated, and the manner of effecting this will now be set forth.

The letter A designates the frame of the machine which should be made of the proper material and shape adapted for the purpose.

In the upper portion of this frameisjournaled a knotter driving shaft E, and upon the end of this shaft opposite to that which actuates the knotting mechanism is keyed a suitable gear wheel, which, in the presentinstance, is a sprocket wheel, and is designated by the letter B. This gear wheel may be connected with the driving pinion O in any suitable manner, but in the present instance the sprocket chain D is employed as a suitable and preferable means of connection. The pinion O and the lower part of the chain is merely indicated by dotted lines, for their construction are well known to those skilled in the art. Loosely journaled upon the end of the knotter driving shaft, adjacent to the gear wheel B, is a crank I, which is connected to and operates a rod G, and the latter secured to another crank F which is fastened to the needle shaft and thereby operates the needle K. A log, a, is formed upon one of the spokes of the wheel B, and positioned so as to engage the crank I when it is at its lowest point and as the wheel revolves carries said crank from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, at which time the crank is at its highest position and just about passing over the dead center. There is nothing to confine the crank after it has passed this dead center and consequently it will by the weight of the parts naturally tend to drop quickly to its lowest position; or, in other words, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, but in case it should not quickly drop by gravity it will be speedily thrown to its lowest position by means of a toe M at the lower end of the compressor arm H striking a corresponding toe L on the hub of the needle, as shown in Fig. 2, and these toes being forced to act by the pressure against said compressor. It is evident that after the crank I passes its upper center it may be made to descend to its lowest position by gravity or by any suitable positive means, (a form of which has been indicated,) much more speedily than if it remained under the control of the gear-wheel B for that portion of the revolution, and consequently the entire revolution of the crank and of the needle actuated thereby will occupy much less time than if its whole movement was effected by the gear. It will be readily understood, there fore, that by this mechanism the needle may effect its complete movement in the same time as in former machines, and yet a con siderable portion of that movement may be effected in a comparatively brief period and the other portion of such movement at a correspondingly slow rate, and therefore the gear which actuates it during its slow movement may give it much greater power, because said gear may be slowed down in speed and its power correspondingly increased. To express the same thing somewhat diiferently, it will be understood that a comparatively small pinion may be used as the driving pinion and a comparatively large gear as the driven gear with this mechanism, and a proportional increase of power secured; because the driven gear does not have to complete its revolution in the same time as is required for the complete movement of the needle up and. down, inasmuch as said needle for a portion of its movement, (that is its down 1novement,) moves independently of the gear and may be moved much more rapidly. It will be further seen that with such construction there is no longer the difficulty experienced that was heretofore encountered when it was attempted to slow down the speed of the gearing so as to increase the power thereof, namely, the consequent slowing down of the time in which the needle would complete its full movement in both directions; for with the present construction the needle is under the control of this gear for only a portion of the time. Again, the necessity for making the machine comparatively heavy so as to give it sufficient traction to exert a proper power upon the needle within a definite time is not now required, because the power may be gained by slowing down the gearing, inasmuch as this does not consequently correspondingly lengthen the time in which the needle must complete its movements up and down, for the reason that the needle is now moved inde pendently for a portion of the time.

The accompanying drawings and the above description illustrate what is regarded as the preferred form of mechanism to effect the purposes stated, but it is manifest that many modifications may be made in the details of the construction by those skilled in the art without departing from theprinciple of the invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is

1. In a grain binder the combination with a needle shaft and positive connections for moving the same during only the complete up stroke of the needle; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a grain hinder the combination of a shaft and needle, and devices which connect such shaft and needle with the power which operates them only during the complete up stroke of the needle; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a grain hinder the combination of a needle shaft, a needle carried thereby, a gear driven from the prime motor, an independently mounted crank and connections between the same and the needle shaft, and a device on the Wheel for engaging one side of such crank only, whereby the rotation of the wheel will'control the needle for only a portion of its movement; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a grain hinder the combination of a needle shaft and needle, a gear wheel actuated by the prime motor and keyed to the knotter drivingshaft,acrank loosely mounted upon such knotter driving shaft and connec tions between the same and the needle shaft, and a lug on the gear wheel engaging the one side of the crank, and thereby giving it its complete upward movement but permitting it to independently complete its downward movement; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a grain hinder the combination of a needle shaft and needle, a knotter driving shaft and gear wheel keyed to such shaft, a crank loosely journaled upon the shaft, and connections between the same and the needle shaft, a lug upon the gear wheel which positively engages one side of the crank and thereby givesit its upward movement, means for independently giving the needle its downward movement and accelerating such movement; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a grain binder the combination of a needle shaft and needle, a knotter driving shaft, a gear wheel keyed thereto, a crank loosely journaled on such shaft and connections between the same and the needle shaft, a lug upon the wheel for engaging one side of the crank and giving it its upward movement, and mechanism for giving said needle its downward movement, comprising a toe upon the needle and another toe upon the compressor, which engages the former toe and thereby throws the needle rapidly down after it has completed its upward movement; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have set my hand this 4th day of April, 1894:.

MAURICE KANE.

W'itnesses:

FRANK '1. BROWN, SAMUEL E. DARBY. 

